Christmas at Hogwarts
by Aanusha
Summary: It's the year 2017 and Albus Potter is celebrating Christmas at Hogwarts. Slice of life fanfic, not very plot-driven. Explores Next Gen Potter gang and life nineteen years after the battle of Hogwarts.
1. Chapter 1

Albus craned his neck to get a better view from the edge of his bed. He spied a solitary box at the foot of his bed, and his heart sank rapidly. The hangings of the scarlet four-poster were drawn back, and the dormitory was filled with a chilly silver gloom. Outside, flurries of snow swirled thick and fast past the window, and distant voices of early-risers shrieking with excitement floated up into the gray glow of the room. There was a loud thump, and a large snowball whacked and shattered against the pane. Shaking his head in disapproval, Albus got up, shivering slightly in his pajamas. After struggling for a time, he managed to slide the pane up, but not before a couple more of the snowballs had whizzed and crashed into the glass. A blast of icy air hit him, freezing the tip of his nose instantly. He stuck his head out, trying to ignore the stinging, and spotted a lanky boy with a pig's tail sticking out of the seat of his pants and a violently red-haired girl, giggling and chasing each other.

"Teddy!", Albus shouted. "Teddy Lupin!"

The lanky pig-tailed boy looked up, grinning.

"What?", he called.

"Stop pelting the windows!", Albus tried looking faintly annoyed.

"Ah, stop being such a spoilsport and join us!", Teddy laughed warmly, chucking yet another snowball in the general direction of Albus's stinging nose. But Albus was too quick for him. He flicked his neck to the side and caught the ball deftly with his left hand, throwing it back at Teddy, on whose derrier it proceeded to explode.

"Look what you've done now!", Teddy complained in mock protest. "My beautiful tail!"

And sure enough, the pig's tail was hanging limply to one side. The girl giggled again.

"Stop it Victoire.", Teddy grumbled as his tail rapidly shrunk back into his pants, wet snow and all.

"Oh and merry Christmas by the way", Teddy added, turning back towards the window. But Albus' head had already disappeared.

"Merry Christmas...", Albus grumbled. He had always hated Christmas. Every year people would be too busy unwrapping presents in the morning to remember to wish him. A few hours back he'd turned twelve, and had resorted to singing "happy birthday" to himself softly before turning in.

"And a merry Christmas to you too!", Rose beamed, hugging him and proceeding to hold out a small box to him.

"It's not much I'm afraid", she said shyly, but Albus looked suddenly happy. He began unwrapping it hurriedly.

"The only other thing I've gotten so far is grandma's jumper", he mumbled while his fingers fumbled with the string, nodding towards the large golden A.S on his chest. "I'm glad she got the colour right though. She keeps forgetting it's Uncle Ron who hates maroon, not me."

The string finally came loose and Albus, tearing through the paper eagerly, drew out a dark, highly polished rosewood box. He peered at it closeley – the lid was exquisitely detailed with an ornate motif of vines and leaves, and in the center was a gold-inlaid carving of a fluttering Snitch. He opened the box gingerly and gasped. Once open, the two halves lay flat, and three small hoops (much like the ones Muggle kids use to blow bubbles with) raised themselves at either end. Tiny ghost-like figures on broomsticks materialised out of thin air and flitted across the pitch and in and out of the stands. One of the halves bore a small dial that displayed the date and a tiny legend beside it. Albus turned it once. _12th July 2014, Quidditch World Cup Final_ , the dial read. At once, the players started to zoom around. He squinted his eyes and noticed that he could even read the names on the robes. One of the scarlet figures read Viktor Krum, while another – a dark green robed player with flaming red hair – read Ginny Weasley. Albus twiddled the dial again, and set the date at _22_ _nd_ _August, 1994_. The robes of the players changed. A small voice could be heard squeaking "Presenting – Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaaand - Lynch!" as seven tiny green blurs zoomed onto the pitch. He spotted a much younger looking Krum doing barrel rolls in midair, waving at the invisible audience.

Albus grinned and looked up.

"Wow! Thanks a bunch Rose."

Rose smiled, "I loved the book you gave me. I'd always wanted to read about Egyptian curses but I'd never gotten around to buying anything on them."


	2. Chapter 2

The Great Hall was buzzing with life by the time he and Rose and finally made their way downstairs. Albus was starting to get a little sulky again. He wished he could spend his birthday with his father, who would treat him to a special game of Quidditch one-on-one, just the two of them, first thing after breakfast. Over the years, Albus had gotten to cherish this one activity the most, and he missed Harry even worse than usual.

At the Gryffindor table, he was spotted by Teddy Lupin, who pulled him down beside him.

"Eat up, eat up. Why the long face? It's Christmas!", Teddy chuckled, and then twisting his hand in mid-air, he produced a long package and handed it to Albus, adding quietly, "And happy birthday by the way."

Albus looked up, surprised that he'd remembered.

"Thanks", he smiled. "Everyone else seems to have forgotten..."

Teddy laughed. "Just you wait."

"Why?" asked Albus, but Teddy had already begun digging into enormous mouthfuls of pudding.

Halfway through lunch however, he thought he understood what Teddy'd meant. A small, highly excited owl had zoomed straight into his shoulder, knocking over his glass of pumpkin juice in the process. He held up the wet bird.

"Hi Pig." he greeted, untying a box three times the owl's size from its legs. It was from Uncle Ron of course. Albus opened the wraps to find a large box of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes Joke Emporium Accessories – an assorted collection of their best-selling products, ranging from bags of Puking Pastilles to small vials of Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, as well as Albus' favourites – Dehydrated Pigmy Puffs from their Instant Pets (Just Add Water) series, and luminescent, everlasting, unpoppable balloons. There was a small letter too, in Hermione's small cramped writing, which wished him a very happy birthday and ended with a strange postscript.

 _P.S – If Hagrid sends you rock cakes, try soaking them in water first._

No sooner had he finished reading this, than a large tawny owl swooped in and landed beside Pigwidgeon. Albus recognised it as a Ministry owl, which meant that his father was probably out working late again. The bird held out his leg rather magisterially, waiting to be relieved of its burden. Albus undid the soft lumpy package hastily, and slid out a second letter from between the strings and opened it. Making sure neither Teddy nor Rose was watching him, he put the letter on his lap and read it quickly.

 _Dearest Albus,_

 _I received this from your namesake on my first Christmas at Hogwarts. It had once belonged to your grandfather, and has been passed down from father to son in our family for generations. And since James has been kind enough to rescue a certain map of mine from the confines of my desk, I believe it's only fair that this go to you. Use it well._

 _A very happy birthday and Merry Christmas to you._

 _Love,_

 _Dad_

 _P.S – Do not open the parcel at the table._

Albus' heart skipped several beats. He couldn't wait to finish breakfast and rush back to the dormitory. But just as he was shovelling the last bits of treacle tart into his mouth, a large snowy owl landed on his packages, bearing nothing but a letter. It was from Hagrid. Albus slit it open.

 _Dear Albus,_

 _I gave your father an owl for his birthday once and I reckoned I'd do the same for you. I know your ferret wasn't allowed at Hogwarts, and owls are dead useful creatures. I hope you like her._

 _Hagrid_

 _P.S – Your father used to call her Hedwig._

 _P.P.S – Come down to tea sometime. I have a fresh batch of rock cakes ready._

Albus looked up. "Hedwig", he called softly. The owl blinked and looked at him seriously. He stroked it gently and fed it the last crumbs of tart off his plate. Rose had finished too, and the two of them got up from the table. Teddy was nowhere to be seen. Neither was Victoire. As they moved away from the hall, Albus now clutching three packages, the owl fluttered gently onto his shoulder.

At the staircase, they bumped into James, who had been mysteriously absent all morning, and was now wearing a scarlet jumper similar to Albus'. James grinned and pointed. "I see you got one too." His eyes travelled to Albus' arms and he asked curiously, "What else have you gotten?"

"Uncle Ron's and Hagrid's presents." Albus replied quickly, shifting a little. James shrugged. "Well, here's mine" he said, handing Albus a box of Chocolate Frogs. Albus was an avid collector of Chocolate Frog cards.

"Thanks" Albus smiled, adding "I've left yours in the dorm."

"That's alright." James breezed, "I'm hungry!" and raising his hand airily, dashed towards the Hall. Albus watched his brother's receding figure, and espied a corner of a parchment sticking out of his bulging pocket.


End file.
